“I don’t know, but they just suddenly started acting nice, like they care about me,” Stephanie explained to Mrs. Robert, recounting everything that had happened since her return from her short trip.

“It’s really strange that after eight years, they are acting as if everything is okay. There must be something wrong,” Mrs. Robert said, concern evident in her voice.

“That’s true, and I already warned them to stay away from me. Whatever they are planning, it won’t work,” Stephanie declared with determination.

“Alright, let me go prepare something for us to eat. You know you woke me up from sleep,” Mrs. Robert said, standing up.

“Don’t worry about that. I’ve already prepared something for us to eat, and I’ve already eaten mine. I also washed the clothes,” Stephanie replied with a smile.

“That’s so kind of you. I hope you prepared enough food so that you have some left for dinner?” Mrs. Robert asked.

“Sure, I did. Let me go to the kitchen, warm the food, and pack some for you in a flask,” Stephanie said, chuckling as she headed to the kitchen. A few minutes later, she returned with a plate of food, handing it to Mrs. Robert, who ate it happily as they talked and laughed.

As the evening grew late, Stephanie informed Mrs. Robert that she was leaving. She bid Mrs. Robert goodbye, holding her flask, and headed back to her own house. Opening the door, she found Kimberly sitting on the couch, smiling while engrossed in something on her smartphone. Stephanie closed the door behind her and started walking towards her room when Kimberly’s voice interrupted her.

“You’re back,” Kimberly said.

“The last time I checked, I am not in possession of any of your belongings, and I didn’t appoint you as my timekeeper. So please, mind your own business,” Stephanie replied dismissively, continuing on to her room. She placed the flask near her bed and quickly went to the bathroom to freshen up and change into comfortable pajamas. Returning from the bathroom, she sat on her bed, eating from the flask.

It was at that moment that Elena and Kimberly entered her room.

“What the hell do you want this time?” Stephanie asked, irritation lacing her words.

“We brought you dinner,” Elena replied softly.

“Really? Well, as you can see, I have eaten. I don’t need it. So can you both leave my room right now?” Stephanie demanded, her frustration palpable.

“Stephanie, please. It’s been a month, and we’ve been trying to reach out to you,” Kimberly pleaded.

“You’re so funny,” Stephanie laughed sarcastically.

“What do you mean?” Kimberly inquired, her voice tinged with desperation.

“It has been a month now, you said? Shall I remind you both that I was deprived of everything good in this house for eight years? By the way, why this sudden niceness? Why all these gestures from you? Am I no longer the murderer who killed your father and husband, as you both claimed?” Stephanie asked, her gaze shifting between them.

“You didn’t kill Dad,” Kimberly uttered, tears streaming down her face.

“Oh, so now you know I didn’t kill Dad, and suddenly you’re nice to me? You and your mother, you’re both pathetic. But if I’m not the one, then who did?” Stephanie questioned, her voice filled with skepticism.

“Aunt Tessa killed Dad,” Kimberly confessed.

“Interesting, but I don’t believe anything you two are saying, and I don’t even want to believe you. So please, can you leave my room?” Stephanie commanded, her tone icy.

However, Kimberly persisted. She took a step closer to Stephanie and began to explain everything, desperately hoping to convey the truth and mend their shattered relationship. She shared how her relentless quest for justice led her to discover the real killer of their father. Kimberly recounted the moment she stumbled upon the incriminating video evidence that proved Aunt Tessa’s guilt. Overwhelmed by the weight of the truth, she walked up to Stephanie and placed the camera in front of her.

Stephanie, torn between skepticism and a glimmer of curiosity, reluctantly pressed play. As she watched the footage, tears welled up in her eyes, blurring the images. The undeniable truth unraveled before her, shattering the foundation of her long-held beliefs. Aunt Tessa, the one they had accused and blamed for years, was innocent.

“So, Aunt Tessa was here on my tenth birthday, and you both kept it from us?” Stephanie asked, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and sadness.

“I told your dad. I truly did, and I sent her away before you both came downstairs. I had no idea she was still lurking behind. I am so sorry, Stephanie. Please forgive me,” Elena pleaded, her voice choked with tears.

“What! Did I hear you say forgive you? Damn you, Mother,” Stephanie shouted, her emotions spiraling out of control.

“Stephanie, we are truly sorry. Please forgive us,” Kimberly implored, her voice filled with remorse.

“What the hell is wrong with both of you?” Stephanie yelled, her anger boiling over.

In that moment, the room filled with tension and a maelstrom of emotions. Stephanie struggled to process the years of pain and suffering inflicted upon her by those she loved. The wounds ran deep, leaving scars that were not easily healed.

“Forgive you both? Just like that? After eight long years of treating me like trash? Elena, you condemned me based on mere suspicions, with no proof whatsoever. You never gave me a fair chance to defend myself. Countless times I tried to explain my innocence, but you silenced me, shutting me down every time. All these years, all I searched for was proof to show you that I am innocent. Little did I know that your own daughter, Kimberly, also sought answers and investigated what truly happened to Dad. She found the truth that you were so afraid to face. And suddenly, you listened to her and started treating me better. Do you really think I can forget the horrendous things you said to me? The nights I cried myself to sleep, the times you starved me, the moments you rejected and cursed your own flesh and blood? How could you condemn your own child based on mere figments of your imagination? Do you have any idea what it feels like to be condemned without a fair trial? Answer me, woman. What do you know about being rejected by the person who brought you into this world? What the hell do you know?” Stephanie’s voice cracked with a mixture of anger, pain, and tears, gushing freely from her eyes.

As she vented her frustrations, Stephanie was suddenly overwhelmed by the mysterious sickness that had plagued her for the past eight years. Her guests, who had never witnessed such a sight, were taken aback. Stephanie’s eyes turned red, her breathing became labored, and her veins bulged, visible through her darkening skin. She grunted in agony, her hair even changing color.

Elena hurriedly reached out to touch Stephanie, but she forcefully pushed her away. Kimberly, in a panic, rushed towards the phone to call for help, only to be halted by Stephanie’s guttural voice.

“Don’t you dare move, Kimberly! Why do you suddenly care? I have lived with this sickness for eight years, receiving no help from any of you. I can take care of myself. Now, both of you, get out of my room,” Stephanie yelled, her voice filled with anguish and resentment.

“But you need…” Kimberly began to protest.

“I warned you, didn’t I, Elena? I begged you and Dad to resolve the issues between you that night, to prevent this cycle of transferred aggression. But you didn’t listen. Now, get the hell out of my room, Mum. You don’t have two daughters. One died a long time ago—condemned for a crime she knew nothing about by the woman who gave birth to her. Leave before I do something stupid,” Stephanie yelled, her voice cracking with pain.

Reluctantly, Elena and Kimberly left Stephanie’s room, closing the door behind them. Elena was lost in her own thoughts, overwhelmed by the weight of her past actions.

“What’s wrong, Mum?” Kimberly asked, concerned.

“Kimberly, Stephanie is right. I lost my own daughter due to carelessness and negligence. It will haunt me for the rest of my life,” Elena admitted, tears streaming down her face.

“Mum, my sister is sick. She might die. What is happening to Stephanie?” Kimberly asked, fear evident in her voice.

At the mention of the word “die,” Elena’s eyes widened, and she ran out of the house in a desperate frenzy.

“Where are you going, Mum?” Kimberly called after her, her voice filled with worry.

“I need to find a way to end this and save Stephanie. She doesn’t have much time left,” Elena shouted back.

Kimberly couldn’t comprehend her mother’s sudden urgency, but she knew there was something she needed to do. Stephanie’s words and the severity of her sickness made her realize the gravity of the situation.

Kimberly picked up the camera that Stephanie had left in the room. As she sifted through the video files, one particular recording caught her attention. It was a video Kimberly had made with their father just a few days before her own birthday. The sight of her father’s smiling face brought back a flood of emotions and nostalgic memories. In that moment, Stephanie’s resolve solidified—Aunt Tessa had to provide answers for why she had taken their father’s life.

Meanwhile, Elena raced through the dark streets, her heart pounding with a mix of desperation and guilt. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing Stephanie, the daughter she had unfairly condemned for so long. With tears streaming down her face, she prayed for a chance to make amends, to find a way to heal the wounds she had inflicted on her own flesh and blood.

In her frantic search for answers, Elena’s thoughts turned to Tessa. She knew she had to confront her sister in law and demand an explanation. Elena’s mind raced as she recalled the past, the secrets that had been buried and the pain that had been inflicted upon their family. She needed to confront the darkness that had haunted them for far too long.